Page 10 of Power Play Pursuit

Once the ceremony ends, James, Maxime, and Aaron skate toward the bench to grab their gear. Since our group is sitting behind the glass, right next to the team bench, they wave at us with bright smiles.James, of course, can’t help but blow me a kiss. The girl behind me squeals, and as I turn around, I see that she’s waving back at James, who just grins.

I shake my head with a scoff before reapplying some Lip Smacker. He’s such a flirt, but his methods work well with the feminine population. You should see the number of girls wearing his jersey tonight. Which reminds me, I don’t own any Raptors gear. Lucas would have thrown a fit. Well, I kind of understood where he was coming from, but now I’m free to show my support for our red and black. I’ll get a numberless hoodie or a cap later.

The players take their positions at center ice, and the puck drops. They go hard at it from the get-go, probably fueled by the explosive crowd tonight, or the fresh reminder that they have a title to defend.

James seizes the puck after a rebound and shoves it into the Carolina cage barely three minutes in. The horn blares, followed by the sound of the Raptors cheering. Everyone is on their feet celebrating. James skates around the rink, brandishing his stick and encouraging the fans to amp up their volume. When he reaches our spot, he just winks at me, and I can’t help but smile. In my defense, it’s hard to resist smiling at James Adler. Yes, he is the ultimate player and flirt, but he wears his empathy on his sleeve.

That said, as happy as I am to count him as a friend, I won’t fall for his act. I know his type. They like the chase, but as soon as they get what they want, they lose interest. Ask me how I know.

Besides, after what happened with Lucas, I need a break. This heart is closed off to men for the time being—hockey players in particular. Actually, there’s a special section just for them locked behind a fireproof door, and I just threw away the key.

The game ends with a win for our Raptors, and fans are delighted as they trickle out of the arena. Tonight’s atmosphere was fun and fueled with adrenaline, and I’m glad I came. We’re all gathered in Deacon’s bar now—our usual postgame hangout.

Word got around that some of the players hang out here after the game, so more and more people are cramming into the space, but the crowd is chill. And we have a private backroom.

The cheers and applause rippling from the front of the bar tell us the guys have just entered the building. Sure enough, when Marissa opens the door, we see them walking toward the back. Not all the Raptors come to Deacon’s bar, but we have a circle of friendswith about eight players. As they make their way to the back, they stop and take a few selfies, sign some autographs, and—in the case of James ‘The Hug’ Adler—hug a lot of people. No, scratch that. Hug a lot ofbeautiful women. He’s clearly enjoying himself, an elated smile plastered on his face as he hugs each of them in turn and takes selfies with them.

It’s fascinating to watch, even though, if I’m being honest, it’s also kind of gross. These girls don’t even pretend not to check him out or feel him up as they wrap their arms around his strong torso. James doesn’t seem to care. Of course he doesn’t. What guy doesn’t like when a sexy woman wraps her arms around him? I know all about that from dating Lucas for eighteen months, though the Sharks didn’t boast quite the same level of fandom. And for some reason, it never bothered me as much. I guess Lucas was closer to his fans in private.

I almost throw up my nachos just thinking about it. How dumb was I?

By now, everyone but James has made it through to the backroom, and Marissa closes the door behind Aaron before falling into his arms.

We congratulate the guys on their first win, and chatter fills the room. Deacon puts some music on from the jukebox, and we all grab a drink.

I’m talking with Emma and Auston about his next Broadway play when James finally joins us. He sweeps the room, his gaze only stopping when it falls on me, and I immediately avert my eyes. No need to give him any more ammunition. The fact that he’s the only man to have ever witnessed my entire panty collection doesn’t help with the fire burning inside me whenever I look at him.

I manage to ignore James most of the night, but when I leave the restrooms, I chance upon him in the hallway, speaking on the phone as he leans against the wall. There’s nowhere to hide.

His face lights up, and I offer a feeble smile before slipping past him.

“I’ll call you back,” he says into the phone before tucking it in his pocket and catching up with me. “Elizabeth, we haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”

“Right,” I say, stopping. “Congrats on the game, and your goal and assists.”

He grins. “Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the show.”

I smile, my insides scorching beneath the look he’s giving me. Like I’m just too tasty to resist. “So, you moved into the building? Why not stay with me? My place is bigger than Miles’, and I’m all alone there.”

A chuckle escapes me, but I roll my eyes. “Not gonna happen.”

“Aww, why not? We’d have funtogether.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude. After all, you need to keep the coast clear for your harem of girls.”

He splays a hand on his chest. “You hurt my feelings to think so little of me, Elizabeth.”

“Speaking of,” I mumble, glancing behind him to where two girls are patiently waiting with their phones.

He looks at them, then back at me. He opens his mouth to protest, but I’m faster.

“Enjoy your night, James.”

5

"I’ve had a lot of crazy fan requests during my career, but this is probably the best one."

James Adler

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